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Han ZP, Yang RZ, Zhou W, Zhang LL, Wang JR, Liu CJ, Liu SD. Population structure and selection signal analysis of indigenous sheep from the southern edge of the Taklamakan Desert. BMC Genomics 2024; 25:681. [PMID: 38982349 PMCID: PMC11232224 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-024-10581-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Analyzing the genetic diversity and selection characteristics of sheep (Ovis aries) holds significant value in understanding their environmental adaptability, enhancing breeding efficiency, and achieving effective conservation and rational utilization of genetic resources. In this study, we utilized Illumina Ovine SNP 50 K BeadChip data from four indigenous sheep breeds from the southern margin of the Taklamakan Desert (Duolang sheep: n = 36, Hetian sheep: n = 74, Kunlun sheep: n = 27, Qira black sheep: n = 178) and three foreign meat sheep breeds (Poll Dorset sheep: n = 105, Suffolk sheep: n = 153, Texel sheep: n = 150) to investigate the population structure, genetic diversity, and genomic signals of positive selection within the indigenous sheep. According to the Principal component analysis (PCA), the Neighbor-Joining tree (NJ tree), and Admixture, we revealed distinct clustering patterns of these seven sheep breeds based on their geographical distribution. Then used Cross Population Extended Haplotype Homozygosity (XP-EHH), Fixation Index (FST), and Integrated Haplotype Score (iHS), we identified a collective set of 32 overlapping genes under positive selection across four indigenous sheep breeds. These genes are associated with wool follicle development and wool traits, desert environmental adaptability, disease resistance, reproduction, and high-altitude adaptability. This study reveals the population structure and genomic selection characteristics in the extreme desert environments of native sheep breeds from the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert, providing new insights into the conservation and sustainable use of indigenous sheep genetic resources in extreme environments. Additionally, these findings offer valuable genetic resources for sheep and other mammals to adapt to global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhi-Peng Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, 843300, China
| | - Rui-Zhi Yang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, 843300, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, 843300, China
| | - Lu-Lu Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, 843300, China
| | - Jie-Ru Wang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, 843300, China
| | - Chun-Jie Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, China
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, 843300, China
| | - Shu-Dong Liu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Tarim University, Alar, 843300, China.
- Key Laboratory of Tarim Animal Husbandry Science and Technology, Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, Alar, 843300, China.
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Sales CF, Pinheiro APB, Ribeiro YM, Moreira DP, Luz RK, Melo RMC, Rizzo E. Starvation-induced autophagy modulates spermatogenesis and sperm quality in Nile tilapia. Theriogenology 2024; 216:42-52. [PMID: 38154205 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2023.11.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a finely regulated process that involves the interaction of several cellular mechanisms to ensure the proper development and maturation of germ cells. This study assessed autophagy contribution and its relation to apoptosis in fish spermatogenesis during starvation. To that end, Nile tilapia males were subjected to 0 (control), 7, 14, 21, and 28 days of starvation to induce autophagy. Testes samples were obtained for analyses of spermatogenesis by histology, electron microscopy, immunohistochemistry, and western blotting. Sperm quality was assessed using a computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) system. Data indicated a significant reduction in gonadosomatic index, seminiferous tubule area, and spermatozoa proportion in fish subject to starvation compared to the control group. Immunoblotting revealed a reduction of Bcl2 and Beclin 1 associated with increased Bax and Caspase-3, mainly after 21 and 28 days of starvation. LC3 and P62 indicated reduced autophagic flux in these starvation times. Immunolabeling for autophagic and apoptotic proteins occurred in all development stages of the germ cells, but protein expression varied throughout starvation. Beclin 1 and Cathepsin D decreased while Bax and Caspase-3 increased in spermatocytes, spermatids, and spermatozoa after 21 and 28 days. Autophagic and lysosomal proteins colocalization indicated the fusion of autophagosomes with lysosomes and lysosomal degradation in spermatogenic cells. The CASA system indicated reduced sperm motility and velocity in animals subjected to 21 and 28 days of starvation. Altogether, the data support autophagy acting at different spermatogenesis stages in Nile tilapia, with decreased autophagy and increased apoptosis after 21 and 28 days of starvation, which results in a decrease in the spermatozoa number and sperm quality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Ferreira Sales
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Paula Barbosa Pinheiro
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Yves Moreira Ribeiro
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Davidson Peruci Moreira
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ronald Kennedy Luz
- Laboratório de Aquacultura, Escola de Veterinária, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rafael Magno Costa Melo
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Elizete Rizzo
- Departamento de Morfologia, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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Samare-Najaf M, Neisy A, Samareh A, Moghadam D, Jamali N, Zarei R, Zal F. The constructive and destructive impact of autophagy on both genders' reproducibility, a comprehensive review. Autophagy 2023; 19:3033-3061. [PMID: 37505071 PMCID: PMC10621263 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2238577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2022] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproduction is characterized by a series of massive renovations at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. Recent studies have strongly tended to reveal the involvement of basic molecular pathways such as autophagy, a highly conserved eukaryotic cellular recycling, during reproductive processes. This review comprehensively describes the current knowledge, updated to September 2022, of autophagy contribution during reproductive processes in males including spermatogenesis, sperm motility and viability, and male sex hormones and females including germ cells and oocytes viability, ovulation, implantation, fertilization, and female sex hormones. Furthermore, the consequences of disruption in autophagic flux on the reproductive disorders including oligospermia, azoospermia, asthenozoospermia, teratozoospermia, globozoospermia, premature ovarian insufficiency, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, and other disorders related to infertility are discussed as well.Abbreviations: AKT/protein kinase B: AKT serine/threonine kinase; AMPK: AMP-activated protein kinase; ATG: autophagy related; E2: estrogen; EDs: endocrine disruptors; ER: endoplasmic reticulum; FSH: follicle stimulating hormone; FOX: forkhead box; GCs: granulosa cells; HIF: hypoxia inducible factor; IVF: in vitro fertilization; IVM: in vitro maturation; LCs: Leydig cells; LDs: lipid droplets; LH: luteinizing hormone; LRWD1: leucine rich repeats and WD repeat domain containing 1; MAP1LC3: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3; MAPK: mitogen-activated protein kinase; MTOR: mechanistic target of rapamycin kinase; NFKB/NF-kB: nuclear factor kappa B; P4: progesterone; PCOS: polycystic ovarian syndrome; PDLIM1: PDZ and LIM domain 1; PI3K: phosphoinositide 3-kinase; PtdIns3P: phosphatidylinositol-3-phosphate; PtdIns3K: class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase; POI: premature ovarian insufficiency; ROS: reactive oxygen species; SCs: Sertoli cells; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TSGA10: testis specific 10; TST: testosterone; VCP: vasolin containing protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Samare-Najaf
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Student Research Committee, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Blood Transfusion Research Center, High Institute for Research and Education in Transfusion Medicine, Kerman Regional Blood Transfusion Center, Kerman, Iran
| | - Asma Neisy
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Ali Samareh
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | - Delaram Moghadam
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Navid Jamali
- Department of Laboratory Sciences, Sirjan School of Medical Sciences, Sirjan, Iran
| | - Reza Zarei
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Fatemeh Zal
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Infertility Research Centre, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
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Cailloce J, Husson F, Galy V, Merlet J. An antibody free approach to probe the presence of poly-ubiquitin chains on C. elegans sperm derived organelles after fertilization. MICROPUBLICATION BIOLOGY 2023; 2023:10.17912/micropub.biology.000972. [PMID: 37799199 PMCID: PMC10550378 DOI: 10.17912/micropub.biology.000972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Upon C. elegans 's oocyte fertilization, the sperm brings mitochondria and membranous organelles (MOs) which are rapidly eliminated by autophagy. Their poly-ubiquitylation is suspected to be a signal for their recognition and degradation but mitochondria poly-ubiquitylation remains debated. Using fluorescent Tandem-repeated Ubiquitin-Binding Entities (TUBEs) we confirmed the presence of K48- and K63-ubiquitin chains on MOs contrasting with the absence of signal on sperm mitochondria. This new and sensitive approach confirmed the poly-ubiquitylation of the MOs while providing additional arguments for the absence of substantial poly-ubiquitylation of sperm-derived mitochondria, suggesting that K63- and K48-poly-ubiquitylation are unlikely acting as a common targeting signal for their degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justine Cailloce
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, IBPS, Developmental Biology Laboratory, UMR7622, Paris, France
| | - Fanny Husson
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, IBPS, Developmental Biology Laboratory, UMR7622, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Galy
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, IBPS, Developmental Biology Laboratory, UMR7622, Paris, France
| | - Jorge Merlet
- Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Institut de Biologie Paris Seine, IBPS, Developmental Biology Laboratory, UMR7622, Paris, France
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Ali W, Deng K, Sun J, Ma Y, Liu Z, Zou H. A new insight of cadmium-induced cellular evidence of autophagic-associated spermiophagy during spermatogenesis. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2023; 30:101064-101074. [PMID: 37646926 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29548-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Autophagy plays a dynamic role in spermatozoa development during spermatogenesis. However, the disruption of autophagic flux induces cell death under metal toxicity and severe oxidative stress. Therefore, we hypothesized that cadmium-induced autophagy might be involved in this mechanism. To verify this hypothesis, we studied cadmium-induced cellular evidence of autophagic-associated spermiophagy within the testis. In the present study, treatment with cadmium caused nuclear depressive disorders and vacuolated mitochondrial damage of Sertoli cells. In addition, spermiophagy through the cellular evidence of spermatozoa phagocytosis, the high lysosomal activity (lysosome engulfment and phagolysosome), and autophagy activity (autolysosome and autophagosome) were observed in the Sertoli cells. The immunohistochemistry of lysosomal membrane protein (LAMP2) to target the phagocytosis of spermatozoa revealed that the immunoreactivity of LAMP2 was overstimulated in the luminal compartment of testis's seminiferous tubules. In addition, the immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence of autophagy-related protein and microtubule-associated light chain (LC3) results showed the strong immunoreactivity and immunosignaling of LC3 in the Sertoli cells of the testis. Moreover, cadmium caused the overactivation of the expression level of autophagy-related proteins, autophagy-related gene (ATG7), (ATG5), beclin1, LC3, sequestosome 1 (P62), and LAMP2 which were confirmed by western blotting. In summary, this study demonstrated that hazards related to cadmium-induced autophagic-associated spermiophagy with the disruption of autophagic flux, providing new insights into the toxicity of cadmium in mammals and representing a high risk to male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waseem Ali
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University Yangzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Kai Deng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University Yangzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Sun
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University Yangzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Yonggang Ma
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University Yangzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Zongping Liu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University Yangzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Zou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University Yangzhou, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China.
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety of the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China.
- Jiangsu Co-innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou, Jiangsu, 225009, People's Republic of China.
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Zhang G, Jiang C, Yang Y, Wang Y, Zhou H, Dai S, Liu M, Yang Y, Yang L, Shen Q, Zhang T, Zhang X, Yang Y, Shen Y. Deficiency of cancer/testis antigen gene CT55 causes male infertility in humans and mice. Cell Death Differ 2023; 30:500-514. [PMID: 36481789 PMCID: PMC9950085 DOI: 10.1038/s41418-022-01098-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The Cancer/Testis Antigen (CTA) genes comprise a group of genes whose expression under physiological conditions is restricted to the testis but is activated in many human cancers. Depending on the particular expression pattern, the CTA genes are speculated to play a role in spermatogenesis, but evidence is limited thus far. Here, we reported patients with a hemizygous nonsense mutation in cancer-testis antigen 55 (CT55) suffering from male infertility with extreme disruption in sperm production, morphology, and locomotion. Specifically, the insufficiency of sperm individualization, excessive residue of unnecessary cytoplasm, and defects in acrosome development were evident in the spermatozoa of the patients. Furthermore, mouse models with depletion of Ct55 showed accelerated infertility with age, mimicking the defects in sperm individualization, unnecessary cytoplasm removal, and meanwhile exhibiting the disrupted cumulus-oocyte complex penetration. Mechanistically, our functional experiments uncovered CT55 as a new autophagic manipulator to regulate spermatogenesis via selectively interacting with LAMP2 and GABARAP (which are key regulators in the autophagy process) and further fine-tuning their expression. Therefore, our findings revealed CT55 as a novel CTA gene involved in spermatogenesis due to its unprecedented autophagy activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guohui Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Key Laboratory of reproductive medicine, Sichuan Provincial maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Chengdu, 610000, China
| | - Chuan Jiang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yushang Yang
- Department of Thoracic Surgery and Institute of Thoracic Oncology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yan Wang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Haimeng Zhou
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Siyu Dai
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Mohan Liu
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Yanting Yang
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Li Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Qiongyan Shen
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Cell Homeostasis, College of Life Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China.
- Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, 421000, China.
| | - Yihong Yang
- Reproduction Medical Center of West China Second University Hospital, Key Laboratory of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Ying Shen
- Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Gynecologic and Pediatric Diseases and Birth Defects of Ministry of Education, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Chronobiology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Dietary folic acid supplementation improves semen quality and spermatogenesis through altering autophagy and histone methylation in the testis of aged broiler breeder roosters. Theriogenology 2021; 181:8-15. [PMID: 34998023 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2021.12.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2021] [Revised: 12/27/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The aging phenomenon often exerts a significant reduction in the reproduction performance of aged animals. The objective of this project was to investigate the effects of dietary Folic acid (FA) supplementation on the reproductive performance of aged broiler breeder roosters. A total of 16 aged ROSS 308 broiler breeder roosters (50-week-old) were randomly divided into two groups. The treatments were basal diet (CON), a basal diet supplemented with 10 mg/kg Folic acid (FAS) for four weeks. At the end of the experiment, semen quality, histopathological studies, serum concentrations of testosterone and relative mRNA and protein expressions of testes were evaluated. The results showed that dietary FA supplementation dramatically improved semen quality of aged roosters, manifested by increasing semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility, and sperm membrane functional integrity. Furthermore, seminiferous tubule epithelial height (SEH) and testis scores were increased by dietary supplementation with FA. Dietary FA also remarkably augmented the transcription level of spermatogenesis-related gene (CREM, PCK2, DDX4, and GDNF). No significant differences were observed in serum concentrations of testosterone between FAS and CON groups. We noted significant upregulation Beclin-1 and ATG5 protein expressions, and the ratio of LC3-Ⅱ/Ⅰ, as well as significant downregulation of p-mTOR protein expressions in testicular tissue of aged roosters with FA supplementation. In addition, dietary FA supplementation significantly increased the protein expression of H3K9me2 and reduced the protein expression of H3K27me2. In summary, dietary FA supplementation improved the testicular autophagy through the mTOR-signaling pathway, and altered histone methylation in the testis. Dietary supplementation with FA can ameliorate semen quality and spermatogenesis of aged roosters.
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Shan MM, Sun SC. The multiple roles of RAB GTPases in female and male meiosis. Hum Reprod Update 2021; 27:1013-1029. [PMID: 34227671 DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmab019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND RAB GTPases constitute the largest family of small GTPases and are found in all eukaryotes. RAB GTPases regulate components of the endomembrane system, the nucleus and the plasma membrane, and are involved in intracellular actin/tubulin-dependent vesicle movement, membrane fusion and cell growth in mitosis. OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE RAB GTPases play multiple critical roles during both female and male meiosis. This review summarizes the progress made in our understanding of the role of RAB GTPases in female and male meiosis in different species. We also discuss the potential relationship between RAB GTPases and oocyte/sperm quality, which may help in understanding the mechanisms underlying oogenesis and spermatogenesis and potential genetic causes of infertility. SEARCH METHODS The PubMed database was searched for articles published between 1991 and 2020 using the following terms: 'RAB', 'RAB oocyte', 'RAB sperm' and 'RAB meiosis'. OUTCOMES An analysis of 126 relevant articles indicated that RAB GTPases are present in all eukaryotes, and ten subfamilies (almost 70 members) are expressed in human cells. The roles of 25 RAB proteins and orthologues in female meiosis and 12 in male meiosis have been reported. RAB proteins are essential for the accurate continuity of genetic material, successful fertilization and the normal growth of offspring. Distinct and crucial functions of RAB GTPases in meiosis have been reported. In oocytes, RAB GTPases are involved in spindle organization, kinetochore-microtubule attachment, chromosome alignment, actin filament-mediated spindle migration, cytokinesis, cell cycle and oocyte-embryo transition. RAB GTPases function in mitochondrial processes and Golgi-mediated vesicular transport during female meiosis, and are critical for cortical granule transport during fertilization and oocyte-embryo transition. In sperm, RAB GTPases are vital for cytoskeletal organization and successful cytokinesis, and are associated with Golgi-mediated acrosome formation, membrane trafficking and morphological changes of sperm cells, as well as the exocytosis-related acrosome reaction and zona reaction during fertilization. WIDER IMPLICATIONS Abnormal expression of RAB GTPases disrupts intracellular systems, which may induce diverse diseases. The roles of RAB proteins in female and male reproductive systems, thus, need to be considered. The mechanisms underlying the function of RAB GTPases and the binding specificity of their effectors during oogenesis, spermatogenesis and fertilization remain to be studied. This review should contribute to our understanding of the molecular mechanisms of oogenesis and spermatogenesis and potential genetic causes of infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Meng Shan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shao-Chen Sun
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China
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9
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Fontana CM, Locatello L, Sabatelli P, Facchinello N, Lidron E, Maradonna F, Carnevali O, Rasotto MB, Dalla Valle L. epg5 knockout leads to the impairment of reproductive success and courtship behaviour in a zebrafish model of autophagy-related diseases. Biomed J 2021; 45:377-386. [PMID: 35562284 PMCID: PMC9250093 DOI: 10.1016/j.bj.2021.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2020] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Dysregulation of the autophagic flux is linked to a wide array of human diseases, and recent findings highlighted the central role of autophagy in reproduction, as well as an association between impairment of autophagy and behavioural disorders. Here we deepened on the possible multilevel link between impairment of the autophagic processes and reproduction at both the physiological and the behavioural level in a zebrafish mutant model. Methods Using a KO epg5 zebrafish line we analysed male breeding success, fertility rate, offspring survival, ejaculate quality, sperm and testes morphology, and courtship behaviour. To this aim physiological, histological, ultrastructural and behavioural analyses on epg5+/+ and mutant epg5−/− males coupled to WT females were applied. Results We observed an impairment of male reproductive performance in mutant epg5−/− males that showed a lower breeding success with a reduced mean number of eggs spawned by their WT female partners. The spermatogenesis and the ability to produce fertilising ejaculates were not drastically impaired in our mutant males, whereas we observed a reduction of their courtship behaviour that might contribute to explain their lower overall reproductive success. Conclusion Collectively our findings corroborate the hypothesis of a multilevel link between the autophagic process and reproduction. Moreover, by giving a first glimpse on behavioural disorders associated to epg5 KO in model zebrafish, our results open the way to more extensive behavioural analyses, also beyond the reproductive events, that might serve as new tools for the molecular screening of autophagy-related multisystemic and neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Lisa Locatello
- Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy; Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn-Fano Marine Centre, Fano, Italy.
| | - Patrizia Sabatelli
- CNR-Institute of Molecular Genetics "Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza"-Unit of Bologna, Bologna, Italy; IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Elisa Lidron
- Department of Biomedical Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Francesca Maradonna
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
| | - Oliana Carnevali
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, Polytechnic University of Marche, Ancona, Italy
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10
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Wang M, Xu Y, Zhang Y, Chen Y, Chang G, An G, Yang X, Zheng C, Zhao J, Liu Z, Wang D, Miao K, Rao S, Dai M, Wang D, Zhao XY. Deciphering the autophagy regulatory network via single-cell transcriptome analysis reveals a requirement for autophagy homeostasis in spermatogenesis. Am J Cancer Res 2021; 11:5010-5027. [PMID: 33754041 PMCID: PMC7978313 DOI: 10.7150/thno.55645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Autophagy has been implicated as a crucial component in spermatogenesis, and autophagy dysfunction can lead to reproductive disorders in animal models, including yeast, C. elegans and mice. However, the sophisticated transcriptional networks of autophagic genes throughout human spermatogenesis and their biological significance remain largely uncharacterized. Methods: We profiled the transcriptional signatures of autophagy-related genes during human spermatogenesis by assessing specimens from nine fertile controls (including two normal persons and seven obstructive azoospermia (OA) patients) and one nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) patient using single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) analysis. Dysregulation of autophagy was confirmed in two additional NOA patients by immunofluorescence staining. Gene knockdown was used to identify the role of Cst3 in autophagy during spermatogenesis. Results: Our data uncovered a unique, global stage-specific enrichment of autophagy-related genes. Human-mouse comparison analysis revealed that the stage-specific expression pattern of autophagy-related genes was highly conserved in mammals. More importantly, dysregulation of some clusters of autophagy-related genes was observed in NOA patients, suggesting the association of autophagy with male infertility. Cst3, a human-mouse conserved and autophagy-related gene that is actively expressed in spermatogonia and early spermatocytes, was found to regulate spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) maintenance and subsequent male germ cell development. Knockdown of Cst3 increased autophagic activity in mouse SSCs and subsequently suppressed the transcription of SSC core factors such as Oct4, Id1, and Nanos3, which could be efficiently rescued by manipulating autophagic activity. Conclusions: Our study provides comprehensive insights into the global transcriptional signatures of autophagy-related genes and confirms the importance of autophagy homeostasis in SSC maintenance and normal spermatogenesis, opening new avenues for further dissecting the significance of the autophagy regulatory network in spermatogenesis as well as male infertility.
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11
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Dai X, Zhou LY, Xu TT, Wang QY, Luo B, Li YY, Gu C, Li SP, Wang AQ, Wei WH, Yang SM. Reproductive responses of the male Brandt’s vole, Lasiopodomys brandtii (Rodentia: Cricetidae) to tannic acid. ZOOLOGIA 2020. [DOI: 10.3897/zoologia.37.e52232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Tannins are polyphenols that are present in various plants, and potentially contain antioxidant properties that promote reproduction in animals. This study investigated how tannic acid (TA) affects the reproductive parameters of male Brandt’s voles,Lasiopodomys brandtii(Radde, 1861). Specifically, the anti-oxidative level of serum, autophagy in the testis, and reproductive physiology were assessed in males treated with TA from the pubertal stage. Compared to the control, low dose TA enhanced relative testis and epididymis weight and sperm concentration in the epididymis, and significantly increased the level of serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px). mRNA levels of autophagy related genes LC3 and Beclin1 decreased significantly with low dose TA compared to the control. However, compared to the control, high dose TA sharply reduced the levels of serum SOD, GSH-Px, CAT, serum testosterone (T), and mRNA level in steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) in the testis. Both sperm abnormality and mortality increased with high dose TA compared to the control and low dose TA. Collectively, this study demonstrated that TA treatment during puberty had a dose-dependent effect on the reproductive responses of male Brandt’s voles. TA might mediate autophagy in the testis, through both indirect and direct processes. TA mainly affected the reproductive function of male Brandt’s voles by regulating anti-oxidative levels. This study advances our understanding of the mechanisms by which tannins influence reproduction in herbivores.
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12
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Yefimova MG, Buschiazzo A, Burel A, Lavault MT, Pimentel C, Jouve G, Jaillard S, Jegou B, Bourmeyster N, Ravel C. Autophagy is increased in cryptorchid testis resulting in abnormal spermatozoa. Asian J Androl 2020; 21:570-576. [PMID: 31031333 PMCID: PMC6859671 DOI: 10.4103/aja.aja_12_19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy is involved in spermatogenesis by regulating germ cell maturation. This catabolic process increases with hyperthermic conditions to prevent the accumulation of damaged organelles. Cryptorchidism is associated with impairment of germ cell maturation revealed by the presence of immature forms of sperm cells in ejaculates. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the status of autophagy in sperm cells from cryptorchid patients. Semen samples of cryptorchid patients and normozoospermic controls were analyzed by immunocytochemistry and electron microscopy. Autophagy proteins, autophagy-related protein 9 (ATG9) and microtubule-associated protein, 1A/1B-light chain 3 (LC3) were localized by immunocytochemistry on the acrosome and on the equatorial segment of sperm cells. LC3 was also detected in the midpiece of cryptorchid sperm tail. Autophagy substrate p62 protein was present in the acrosome and in the postequatorial segment of sperm in control samples, but not in the cryptorchid ones. Transmission electron microscopy revealed double-membrane-limited autophagosomes in postequatorial part of spermatozoa head and midpiece in cryptorchid samples. Partly degraded mitochondria were frequently discerned in autophagic vacuoles. In conclusion, autophagy is increased in sperm cells from patients with cryptorchid history comparatively to control. Our work provides insights into the role of autophagy in the maturation and survival of human male gametes in pathological conditions. Thus, regulating autophagy could represent a potential way to improve sperm quality in cryptorchid men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina G Yefimova
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction -CECOS, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes F-35000, France.,Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, 194223 St-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Antoine Buschiazzo
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction -CECOS, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Agnes Burel
- Univ Rennes, Biosit Platform - MRIC, Rennes 35000, France
| | | | - Celine Pimentel
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Department of Gynecology Obstetric and Human Reproduction, Rennes 35000, France
| | - Guilhem Jouve
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction -CECOS, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Sylvie Jaillard
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Department of Cytogenetic, Irset (Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes 35000, France
| | - Bernard Jegou
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institute for Environmental and Occupational Health) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes F-35000, France
| | - Nicolas Bourmeyster
- University of Poitiers - CHU Poitiers, STIM ERL 7003 CNRS, Poitiers 86021, France
| | - Celia Ravel
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Laboratoire de Biologie de la Reproduction -CECOS, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail) - UMR_S 1085, Rennes F-35000, France
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13
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Huang Q, Liu Y, Zhang S, Yap YT, Li W, Zhang D, Gardner A, Zhang L, Song S, Hess RA, Zhang Z. Autophagy core protein ATG5 is required for elongating spermatid development, sperm individualization and normal fertility in male mice. Autophagy 2020; 17:1753-1767. [PMID: 32677505 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2020.1783822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermiogenesis is the longest phase of spermatogenesis, with dramatic morphological changes and a final step of spermiation, which involves protein degradation and the removal of excess cytoplasm; therefore, we hypothesized that macroautophagy/autophagy might be involved in the process. To test this hypothesis, we examined the function of ATG5, a core autophagy protein in male germ cell development. Floxed Atg5 and Stra8- iCre mice were crossed to conditionally inactivate Atg5 in male germ cells. In Atg5flox/flox; Stra8- iCre mutant mice, testicular expression of the autophagosome marker LC3A/B-II was significantly reduced, and expression of autophagy receptor SQSTM1/p62 was significantly increased, indicating a decrease in testicular autophagy activity. The fertility of mutant mice was dramatically reduced with about 70% being infertile. Sperm counts and motility were also significantly reduced compared to controls. Histological examination of the mutant testes revealed numerous, large residual bodies in the lumen of stages after their normal resorption within the seminiferous epithelium. The cauda epididymal lumen was filled with sloughed germ cells, large cytoplasmic bodies, and spermatozoa with disorganized heads and tails. Examination of cauda epididymal sperm by electron microscopy revealed misshapen sperm heads, a discontinuous accessory structure in the mid-piece and abnormal acrosome formation and loss of sperm individualization. Immunofluorescence staining of epididymal sperm showed abnormal mitochondria and acrosome distribution in the mutant mice. ATG5 was shown to induce autophagy by mediating multiple signals to maintain normal developmental processes. Our study demonstrated ATG5 is essential for male fertility and is involved in various aspects of spermiogenesis.Abbreviations: AKAP4: a-kinase anchoring protein 4; ATG5: autophagy-related 5; ATG7: autophagy-related 7; ATG10: autophagy-related 10; ATG12: autophagy-related 12; cKO: conditional knockout; DDX4: DEAD-box helicase 4; MAP1LC3/LC3/tg8: microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3; PBS: phosphate-buffered saline; PIWIL2/MILI: piwi like RNA-mediated gene silencing 2; RT-PCR: reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; TBC: tubulobulbar complexes; WT: wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Huang
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yunhao Liu
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shiyang Zhang
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.,Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Yi Tian Yap
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - David Zhang
- School of Arts and Sciences, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, USA
| | - Ahmad Gardner
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,Detroit High School, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Ling Zhang
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Shizheng Song
- School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Rex A Hess
- Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL, USA
| | - Zhibing Zhang
- Department of Physiology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA.,Department of Obstetrics/Gynecology, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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14
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Li S, Yan H, Mei WM, Tse YC, Wang H. Boosting autophagy in sexual reproduction: a plant perspective. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 226:679-689. [PMID: 31917864 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2019] [Accepted: 12/21/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The key process of sexual reproduction is the successful fusion of the sperm and egg cell. Distinct from dynamic and flagellated animal sperm cells, higher flowering plant sperm cells are immotile. Therefore, plants have evolved a novel reproductive system to achieve fertilization and generate progenies. Plant sexual reproduction consists of multiple steps, mainly including gametophyte development, pollen-pistil recognition, pollen germination, double fertilization and postfertilization. During reproduction, active production, consumption and recycling of cellular components and energy are critically required to achieve fertilization. However, the underlying machinery of cellular degradation and turnover remains largely unexplored. Autophagy, the major catabolic pathway in eukaryotic cells, participates in regulating multiple aspects of plant activities, including abiotic and biotic stress resistance, pathogen response, senescence, nutrient remobilization and plant development. Nevertheless, a key unanswered question is how autophagy regulates plant fertilization and reproduction. Here, we focus on comparing and contrasting autophagy in several key reproductive processes of plant and animal systems to feature important distinctions and highlight future research directions of autophagy in angiosperm reproduction. We further discuss the potential crosstalk between autophagy and programmed cell death, which are often considered as two disconnected events in plant sexual reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Li
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - He Yan
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
| | - Wei-Ming Mei
- Outpatient Department of Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, 510275, China
| | - Yu Chung Tse
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Disease Research, Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Cell Microenvironment and Department of Biology, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, 518005, China
| | - Hao Wang
- College of Life Sciences, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
- Integrative Microbiology Research Centre, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China
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15
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Bakula D, Scheibye-Knudsen M. MitophAging: Mitophagy in Aging and Disease. Front Cell Dev Biol 2020; 8:239. [PMID: 32373609 PMCID: PMC7179682 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2020.00239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Maintaining mitochondrial health is emerging as a keystone in aging and associated diseases. The selective degradation of mitochondria by mitophagy is of particular importance in keeping a pristine mitochondrial pool. Indeed, inherited monogenic diseases with defects in mitophagy display complex multisystem pathologies but particularly progressive neurodegeneration. Fortunately, therapies are being developed that target mitophagy allowing new hope for treatments for previously incurable diseases. Herein, we describe mitophagy and associated diseases, coin the term mitophaging and describe new small molecule interventions that target different steps in the mitophagic pathway. Consequently, several age-associated diseases may be treated by targeting mitophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Bakula
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Morten Scheibye-Knudsen
- Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, Center for Healthy Aging, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
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16
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Haseeb A, Bai X, Vistro WA, Tarique I, Chen H, Yang P, Gandahi NS, Iqbal A, Huang Y, Chen Q. Characterization of in vivo autophagy during avian spermatogenesis1. Poult Sci 2019; 98:5089-5099. [PMID: 31198935 DOI: 10.3382/ps/pez320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 05/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complex cellular process that includes many subcellular events that are essential for the production of healthy spermatozoa. Autophagy is a physiological process that plays a significant role in the process of spermatogenesis; however, autophagy during avian spermatogenesis has not yet been reported. In the current study, we characterized in vivo autophagy throughout the process of domestic fowl spermatogenesis. Autophagy-specific markers, including microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 (LC3), sequestosome 1 (p62), and autophagy-related 7 (Atg7), were used to confirm the occurrence of autophagy in testicular germ cells. The protein expression of Atg7, LC3, and p62 in domestic fowl testes was confirmed by Western blotting. The immunohistochemical staining indicated a strong localization of LC3 and Atg7 within spermiogenic cells (intermediate and late spermatids) and primary spermatocytes. However, poorly expressed in cells (spermatogonia) that were located near the basement membrane. The immunofluorescence staining results showed the opposite tendency for LC3 and p62. LC3 was more strongly localized within the elongated spermatids, while p62 was strongly localized within the early spermatids. Moreover, the ultrastructural components of autophagy were revealed by transmission electron microscopy. Well-developed autophagosomes and multivesicular bodies were found to be prominent in primary spermatocytes (zygotene and pachytene) and spermiogenic cells. Furthermore, other vesicular structures, such as early endosomes and amphisomes, were also observed during spermatogenesis. The above findings collectively suggest that autophagy is active during spermatogenesis and that the level of autophagy increases from the basal to the luminal regions of the seminiferous tubules of domestic fowl testes. We propose that autophagic pathways may be involved in multiple functions to sustain spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Haseeb
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China.,Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir 12350, Pakistan
| | - X Bai
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - W A Vistro
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - I Tarique
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - H Chen
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - P Yang
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - N S Gandahi
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - A Iqbal
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Y Huang
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
| | - Q Chen
- Ministry of Education (MOE) Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province 210095, China
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17
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Buschiazzo A, Yefimova M, Bourmeyster N, Fautrel A, Burel A, Neyroud AS, Pimentel C, Jaillard S, Jégou B, Ravel C. Autophagie et spermatozoïde. Med Sci (Paris) 2019; 35:852-858. [DOI: 10.1051/medsci/2019172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
La spermiogenèse, étape ultime de la spermatogenèse, est un processus qui fait intervenir des acteurs qui participe à l’autophagie. C’est en effet lors de cette étape que se forme l’acrosome par fusion vésiculaire et que disparaît la majeure partie du cytoplasme du spermatozoïde. L’autophagie (littéralement « se manger soi-même »), en permettant l’élimination et le remplacement continuel des protéines et des organites non fonctionnels, assure le recyclage des constituants de la cellule. C’est un mécanisme cellulaire très conservé au sein des cellules eucaryotes. La machinerie de l’autophagie est également présente dans les spermatozoïdes. Elle régule la vitalité de ces cellules et leur mobilité. Les conséquences environnementales et comportementales sur l’autophagie et sur la spermatogenèse commencent à être étudiées. Le but de cette revue est de synthétiser les connaissances actuelles concernant les processus d’autophagie dans le gamète mâle mature.
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18
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Chen H, Huang Y, Yang P, Shi Y, Ahmed N, Liu T, Bai X, Haseeb A, Chen Q. Autophagy enhances lipid droplet development during spermiogenesis in Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis. Theriogenology 2019; 147:154-165. [PMID: 31787469 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2019.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2019] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Spermiogenesis is a highly organized process of the metamorphosis of round spermatids into spermatozoa in the testes. Autophagy is involved in the physiological process of spermiogenesis and its crucial role in germ-plasm clearance conserved across kingdoms. However, the fate of by-products generated through autophagy during spermiogenesis is still largely unknown. In the present study, we showed that the autophagy enhanced lipid droplets (LDs) formation during spermiogenesis in Chinese soft-shelled turtle, Pelodiscus sinensis. TEM and Oil Red O staining results found that the number and size of LDs within spermatid increased considerably during the process of spermiogenesis. RNA-Seq analysis revealed that autophagy was highly activated via the PI3K pathway during spermatogenesis. Inhibiting autophagy with 3-methyladenine (3-MA) significantly decreased testicular triglycerides (TGs) and fatty acid (FAs) content. In comparison with the control group, the number and size of LD within elongating spermatids was reduced significantly in the 3-MA group. Moreover, DGAT1, a diacylglycerol acyltransferase, which normally localize to the endoplasmic reticulum, was found to co-localize with LDs. Taken together, our results showed that FAs released through the autophagic degradation of germ-plasm was replenished LDs of spermatid, increasing LD number and size, during the process of spermiogenesis. These LDs facilitate long-term sperm storage in the epididymis of Chinese soft-shelled turtle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Chen
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Yufei Huang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Ping Yang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Yonghong Shi
- Shanghai Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shanghai, 200241, China
| | - Nisar Ahmed
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Tengfei Liu
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Xuebing Bai
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Abdul Haseeb
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Qiusheng Chen
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China.
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19
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Haseeb A, Tarique I, Bai X, Yang P, Ali Vistro W, Huang Y, Ali Fazllani S, Ahmed Z, Chen Q. Inhibition of autophagy impairs acrosome and mitochondrial crista formation during spermiogenesis in turtle: Ultrastructural evidence. Micron 2019; 121:84-89. [PMID: 30953869 DOI: 10.1016/j.micron.2019.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/31/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Autophagy is a subcellular process that is extensively involved in spermiogenesis. In this study, we observed ultrastructural malformation of acrosome and mitochondrial cristae during the spermiogenesis of Chinese soft-shelled turtle due to the inhibition of autophagy. Autophagy was blocked with 3-MA, and the inhibition of autophagy was confirmed through western blot analysis. The morphological abnormalities of acrosomes and mitochondria were observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In the early spermiogenesis (Golgi and cap phases), damaged macrovesicle was observed, and its proper expansion over the nucleus failed to be form a normal acrosomal cap. As spermiogenesis proceeded, the malformation of the acrosome in spermatids became more severe. In the late spermiogenesis (acrosomal and maturation phases), defective acrosome with damaged acrosomal membrane that was detached from the nucleus was observed. Along with malformed acrosome, elongation failed nucleus having oval or round shaped morphology was also observed. Moreover, morphological damage to the mitochondrial cristae was observed. Lacuna formation, half and complete loss of cristae were observed in the mitochondria of developing spermatids. We proposed that autophagy is required for normal formation of the acrosome and mitochondrial cristae during turtle spermiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abdul Haseeb
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China; Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Imran Tarique
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Xuebing Bai
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Ping Yang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Waseem Ali Vistro
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | - Yufei Huang
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China
| | | | - Zulfqur Ahmed
- Faculty of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Poonch Rawalakot, Azad Kashmir, Pakistan
| | - Qiusheng Chen
- MOE Joint International Research Laboratory of Animal Health and Food Safety, College of Veterinary Medicine, Nanjing Agricultural University, Jiangsu Province, 210095, China.
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20
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Abstract
Autophagy is an evolutionarily conserved self-digestion process which is essential to keep basal homeostasis in a cell. During this process, degradation and recycling of many cytoplasmic components including the long-lived, unnecessary or aggregated proteins and damaged organelles is achieved through lysosomal machinery. Autophagy has a critical role for lower eukaryotic organisms such as yeast to survive and adapt to nutrient starvation conditions. In addition to this primary function, autophagy appears as a crucial mechanism for cell differentiation and development enabling the cells to modify their content and morphology in response to environmental and hormonal cues. A recent study by Shang et al.1 shed more light on the molecular mechanisms of how autophagy regulates spermiogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nihan Ozturk
- Clinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Section Molecular Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Schubertstrasse 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Klaus Steger
- Clinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Section Molecular Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Schubertstrasse 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany
| | - Undraga Schagdarsurengin
- Clinic of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Section Molecular Andrology, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Schubertstrasse 81, 35392 Giessen, Germany
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21
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Meneghetti G, Skobo T, Chrisam M, Facchinello N, Fontana CM, Bellesso S, Sabatelli P, Raggi F, Cecconi F, Bonaldo P, Dalla Valle L. The epg5 knockout zebrafish line: a model to study Vici syndrome. Autophagy 2019; 15:1438-1454. [PMID: 30806141 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2019.1586247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The EPG5 protein is a RAB7A effector involved in fusion specificity between autophagosomes and late endosomes or lysosomes during macroautophagy/autophagy. Mutations in the human EPG5 gene cause a rare and severe multisystem disorder called Vici syndrome. In this work, we show that zebrafish epg5-/- mutants from both heterozygous and incrossed homozygous matings are viable and can develop to the age of sexual maturity without conspicuous defects in external appearance. In agreement with the dysfunctional autophagy of Vici syndrome, western blot revealed higher levels of the Lc3-II autophagy marker in epg5-/- mutants with respect to wild type controls. Moreover, starvation elicited higher accumulation of Lc3-II in epg5-/- than in wild type larvae, together with a significant reduction of skeletal muscle birefringence. Accordingly, muscle ultrastructural analysis revealed accumulation of degradation-defective autolysosomes in starved epg5-/- mutants. By aging, epg5-/- mutants showed impaired motility and muscle thinning, together with accumulation of non-degradative autophagic vacuoles. Furthermore, epg5-/- adults displayed morphological alterations in gonads and heart. These findings point at the zebrafish epg5 mutant as a valuable model for EPG5-related disorders, thus providing a new tool for dissecting the contribution of EPG5 on the onset and progression of Vici syndrome as well as for the screening of autophagy-stimulating drugs. Abbreviations: ATG: autophagy related; cDNA: complementary DNA; DIG: digoxigenin; dpf: days post-fertilization; EGFP: enhanced green fluorescent protein; EPG: ectopic P granules; GFP: green fluorescent protein; hpf: hours post-fertilization; IL1B: interleukin 1 beta; Lc3-II: lipidated Lc3; mpf: months post-fertilization; mRNA: messenger RNA; NMD: nonsense-mediated mRNA decay; PCR: polymerase chain reaction; qPCR: real time-polymerase chain reaction; RAB7A/RAB7: RAB7a, member RAS oncogene family; RACE: rapid amplification of cDNA ends; RFP: red fluorescent protein; RT-PCR: reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction; SEM: standard error of the mean; sgRNA: guide RNA; UTR: untranslated region; WMISH: whole mount in situ hybridization; WT: wild type.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tatjana Skobo
- a Department of Biology , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Martina Chrisam
- b Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | | | | | - Stefania Bellesso
- b Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Patrizia Sabatelli
- c Institute of Molecular Genetics , National Research Council of Italy , Bologna , Italy.,d IRCCS-Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute , Bologna , Italy
| | - Flavia Raggi
- a Department of Biology , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
| | - Francesco Cecconi
- e Department of Biology , University of Rome Tor Vergata , Roma , Italy.,f Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology , Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital , Rome , Italy.,g Unit of Cell Stress and Survival , Danish Cancer Society Research Center , Copenhagen , Denmark
| | - Paolo Bonaldo
- b Department of Molecular Medicine , University of Padova , Padova , Italy
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22
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Kalachev AV, Yurchenko OV, Kiselev KV. Macroautophagy is involved in residual bodies formation during spermatogenesis in sea urchins, Strongylocentrotus intermedius. Tissue Cell 2019; 56:79-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tice.2018.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2018] [Revised: 12/12/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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23
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Henis-Korenblit S, Meléndez A. Methods to Determine the Role of Autophagy Proteins in C. elegans Aging. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1880:561-586. [PMID: 30610723 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-8873-0_37] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/22/2023]
Abstract
This chapter describes methods for the analysis of autophagy proteins in C. elegans aging. We discuss the strains to be considered, the methods for the delivery of double-stranded RNA, and the methods to measure autophagy levels, autophagic flux, and degradation by autophagy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sivan Henis-Korenblit
- The Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan, Israel.
| | - Alicia Meléndez
- Department of Biology, Queens College, The City University of New York, Flushing, NY, USA.
- Biology and Biochemistry PhD Programs, The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, New York, NY, USA.
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24
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Chang RK, Li X, Mu N, Hrydziuszko O, Garcia-Majano B, Larsson C, Lui WO. MicroRNA expression profiles in non‑epithelial ovarian tumors. Int J Oncol 2018; 52:55-66. [PMID: 29138809 PMCID: PMC5743337 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2017.4200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 09/28/2017] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ovarian germ cell tumors (OGCTs) and sex cord stromal tumors (SCSTs) are rare gynecologic tumors that are derived from germ and stromal cells, respectively. Unlike their epithelial counterparts, molecular pathogenesis of these tumor types is still poorly understood. Here, we characterized microRNA (miRNA) expression profiles of 9 OGCTs (2 malignant and 7 benign) and 3 SCSTs using small RNA sequencing. We observed significant miRNA expression variations among the three tumor groups. To further demonstrate the biological relevance of our findings, we selected 12 miRNAs for validation in an extended cohort of 16 OGCTs (9 benign and 7 malignant) and 7 SCSTs by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Higher expression of miR‑373‑3p, miR‑372‑3p and miR‑302c‑3p and lower expression of miR‑199a‑5p, miR‑214‑5p and miR‑202‑3p were reproducibly observed in malignant OGCTs as compared to benign OGCTs or SCSTs. Comparing with benign OGCTs, miR‑202c‑3p and miR‑513c‑5p were more abundant in SCSTs. Additionally, we examined Beclin 1 (BECN1), a target of miR‑199a‑5p, in the clinical samples using western blot analysis. Our results show that BECN1 expression was higher in malignant OGCTs than benign OGCTs, which is concordant with their lower miR‑199a‑5p expression. This study suggests that these miRNAs may have potential value as tumor markers and implications for further understanding the molecular basis of these tumor types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger K. Chang
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm
| | - Xidan Li
- Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-141 86 Huddinge
| | - Ninni Mu
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm
| | - Olga Hrydziuszko
- National Bioinformatics Infrastructure Sweden, Science for Life Laboratory, SE-751 24 Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Beatriz Garcia-Majano
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm
| | - Catharina Larsson
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm
| | - Weng-Onn Lui
- Department of Oncology-Pathology, Karolinska Institutet, Cancer Center Karolinska, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76 Stockholm
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25
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Sanchez-Vera V, Kenchappa CS, Landberg K, Bressendorff S, Schwarzbach S, Martin T, Mundy J, Petersen M, Thelander M, Sundberg E. Autophagy is required for gamete differentiation in the moss Physcomitrella patens. Autophagy 2017; 13:1939-1951. [PMID: 28837383 PMCID: PMC5788497 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2017.1366406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Autophagy, a major catabolic process in eukaryotes, was initially related to cell tolerance to nutrient depletion. In plants autophagy has also been widely related to tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses (through the induction or repression of programmed cell death, PCD) as well as to promotion of developmentally regulated PCD, starch degradation or caloric restriction important for life span. Much less is known regarding its role in plant cell differentiation. Here we show that macroautophagy, the autophagy pathway driven by engulfment of cytoplasmic components by autophagosomes and its subsequent degradation in vacuoles, is highly active during germ cell differentiation in the early diverging land plant Physcomitrella patens. Our data provide evidence that suppression of ATG5-mediated autophagy results in reduced density of the egg cell-mediated mucilage that surrounds the mature egg, pointing toward a potential role of autophagy in extracellular mucilage formation. In addition, we found that ATG5- and ATG7-mediated autophagy is essential for the differentiation and cytoplasmic reduction of the flagellated motile sperm and hence for sperm fertility. The similarities between the need of macroautophagy for sperm differentiation in moss and mouse are striking, strongly pointing toward an ancestral function of autophagy not only as a protector against nutrient stress, but also in gamete differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Sanchez-Vera
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chandra Shekar Kenchappa
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Katarina Landberg
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | | | - Stefan Schwarzbach
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Tom Martin
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - John Mundy
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Morten Petersen
- Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Mattias Thelander
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Eva Sundberg
- Department of Plant Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, The Linnean Centre of Plant Biology in Uppsala, Uppsala, Sweden
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26
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Wang KS, Liu X, Xie C, Liu Y, Xu C. Non-parametric Survival Analysis of EPG5 Gene with Age at Onset of Alzheimer's Disease. J Mol Neurosci 2016; 60:436-444. [PMID: 27586004 DOI: 10.1007/s12031-016-0821-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/17/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Non-parametric methods such as Wilcoxon test have the advantages of no assumptions for the underlying survival distributions. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a chronic neurodegenerative disease while the ectopic P-granules autophagy protein 5 homolog (EPG5 gene) is highly expressed in human brain and may implicate in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. The present study explored the associations of 26 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EPG5 gene with the age at onset (AAO) of AD using a family-based association test (FBAT)-Wilcoxon statistic in a family-based study. Then a replication study using a case-control sample was conducted to perform Wilcoxon test in Kaplan-Meier survival analysis of AAO. The results from FBAT-generalized estimating equations (FBAT-GEE) statistics and FBAT-Wilcoxon test showed that seven SNPs (top SNP rs495078 with p = 1.29 × 10-3) were significantly associated with the risk of AD, and eight SNPs (top SNP rs11082498 with p = 3.55 × 10-4) were associated with the AAO of AD in the family-based study (p < 0.05). In the replicated data, three SNPs were associated with AAO by using the Wilcoxon test, where the mean AAO was approximately 2.2 years earlier in individuals who had at least one minor allele of the top AAO-associated SNP rs9963463 (p = 0.0018) compared with those who were homozygous for the major allele. These findings from non-parametric survival analyses provide evidence for several genetic variants in EPG5 influencing the AAO of AD and will serve as a resource for replication in other populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke-Sheng Wang
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, PO Box 70259, Lamb Hall, Johnson City, TN, 37614-1700, USA.
| | - Xuefeng Liu
- Department of Systems Leadership and Effectiveness Science, School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5482, USA
| | - Changchun Xie
- Division of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Department of Environmental Health, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, 45267, USA
| | - Ying Liu
- Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, College of Public Health, East Tennessee State University, PO Box 70259, Lamb Hall, Johnson City, TN, 37614-1700, USA
| | - Chun Xu
- Department of Pediatrics, Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso, TX, 79912, USA
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27
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Zhang Z, Li W, Zhang Y, Zhang L, Teves ME, Liu H, Strauss JF, Pazour GJ, Foster JA, Hess RA, Zhang Z. Intraflagellar transport protein IFT20 is essential for male fertility and spermiogenesis in mice. Mol Biol Cell 2016; 27:mbc.E16-05-0318. [PMID: 27682589 PMCID: PMC5170554 DOI: 10.1091/mbc.e16-05-0318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Intraflagellar transport (IFT) is a conserved mechanism thought to be essential for the assembly and maintenance of cilia and flagella. However, little is known about its role in mammalian sperm flagella formation. To fill this gap, we disrupted the Ift20 gene in male germ cells. Homozygous mutant mice were infertile with significantly reduced sperm counts and motility. In addition, abnormally shaped elongating spermatid heads and bulbous round spermatids were found in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules. Electron microscopy revealed increased cytoplasmic vesicles, fiber-like structures, abnormal accumulation of mitochondria and a decrease in mature lysosomes. The few developed sperm had disrupted axonemes and some retained cytoplasmic lobe components on the flagella. ODF2 and SPAG16L, two sperm flagella proteins failed to be incorporated into sperm tails of the mutant mice, and in the germ cells, both were assembled into complexes with lighter density in the absence of IFT20. Disrupting IFT20 did not significantly change expression levels of IFT88, a component of IFT-B complex, and IFT140, a component of IFT-A complex. Even though the expression level of an autophagy core protein that associates with IFT20, ATG16, was reduced in the testis of the Ift20 mutant mice, expression levels of other major autophagy markers, including LC3 and ubiquitin were not changed. Our studies suggest that IFT20 is essential for male fertility and spermiogenesis in mice, and its major function is to transport cargo proteins for sperm flagella formation. It also appears to be involved in removing excess cytoplasmic components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhengang Zhang
- Department of Gastroenterology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China, 430030 Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Wei Li
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Yong Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298 Department of Dermatology, Tongji Hospital, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China, 430030
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298 School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430065
| | - Maria E Teves
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Hong Liu
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298 School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430065
| | - Jerome F Strauss
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
| | - Gregory J Pazour
- Program in Molecular Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01605
| | - James A Foster
- Department of Biology, Randolph-Macon College, Ashland, VA 23005
| | - Rex A Hess
- Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Illinois, 2001 S. Lincoln, Urbana, IL 61802-6199
| | - Zhibing Zhang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23298
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28
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PI3K/Akt/mTOR activation by suppression of ELK3 mediates chemosensitivity of MDA-MB-231 cells to doxorubicin by inhibiting autophagy. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2016; 477:277-82. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2016.06.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2016] [Accepted: 06/10/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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29
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Zhang S, Niu Q, Gao H, Ma R, Lei R, Zhang C, Xia T, Li P, Xu C, Wang C, Chen J, Dong L, Zhao Q, Wang A. Excessive apoptosis and defective autophagy contribute to developmental testicular toxicity induced by fluoride. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2016; 212:97-104. [PMID: 26840522 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2016.01.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2015] [Revised: 01/18/2016] [Accepted: 01/20/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Fluoride, a ubiquitous environmental contaminant, is known to impair testicular functions and fertility; however the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. In this study, we used a rat model to mimic human exposure and sought to investigate the roles of apoptosis and autophagy in testicular toxicity of fluoride. Sprague-Dawley rats were developmentally exposed to 25, 50, or 100 mg/L sodium fluoride (NaF) via drinking water from pre-pregnancy to post-puberty, and then the testes of offspring were excised on postnatal day 56. Our results demonstrated that developmental NaF exposure induced an enhanced testicular apoptosis, as manifested by a series of hallmarks such as caspase-3 activation, chromatin condensation and DNA fragmentation. Further study revealed that fluoride exposure elicited significant elevations in the levels of cell surface death receptor Fas with a parallel increase in cytoplasmic cytochrome c, indicating the involvement of both extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways. Intriguingly, fluoride treatment also simultaneously increased the number of autophagosomes and the levels of autophagy marker LC3-II but not Beclin1. Unexpectedly, the expression of p62, a substrate that is degraded by autophagy, was also significantly elevated, suggesting that the accumulated autophagosomes resulted from impaired autophagy degradation rather than increased formation. Importantly, these were associated with marked histopathological lesions including spermatogenic failure and germ cell loss, along with severe ultrastructural abnormalities in testes. Taken together, our findings provide deeper insights into roles of excessive apoptosis and defective autophagy in the aggravation of testicular damage, which could contribute to a better understanding of fluoride-induced male reproductive toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shun Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Qiang Niu
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Hui Gao
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Rulin Ma
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Rongrong Lei
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Cheng Zhang
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Tao Xia
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Pei Li
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Chunyan Xu
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Jingwen Chen
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Lixing Dong
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Qian Zhao
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China
| | - Aiguo Wang
- Department of Environmental Health and MOE Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, 13 Hangkong Road, Wuhan 430030, Hubei, PR China.
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30
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Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a highly regulated process during which haploid sperm cells are generated. Although autophagy is involved in the spermatogenesis process, the molecular pathways and regulations of autophagy in germ cell development remain elusive. Here, we showed that Ppp1r36, a regulatory subunit of protein phosphatase 1, is expressed during gonadal development, mainly in testes during spermatogenesis. Autophagy protein LC3 (microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3), especially its active form LC3-II, had a similar expression pattern to Ppp1r36. Moreover, LC3-II level and puncta analysis showed that autophagy is up-regulated around 21 dpp (day postpartum) in postnatal testis, indicating a potential role of autophagy during the first wave of spermatogenesis. We demonstrated that Ppp1r36 promotes autophagosome formation upon starvation induction. Further autophagy flux analysis using a tandem fluorescent indicator, mCherry-GFP-LC3, confirmed that Ppp1r36 participated in autophagy. We further determined that Ppp1r36 is associated with Atg16L1 (autophagy related 16-like 1) in autophagy of starvation induction. Thus, our results uncover a potential role of the regulatory subunit Ppp1r36 of protein phosphatase 1 in enhancing autophagy during spermatogenesis.
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